Fabiola Mushi
The Sixth Ordinary Meeting of the East African Community Sectoral Council on Fisheries and Aquaculture Development in Lake Victoria at the level of Permanent Secretaries has taken place in Arusha.
The meeting, chaired by Ms. Daisy Olyel Aciro, who is also the Commissioner for Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Uganda, received and discussed the report of the Expert Meeting held from May 27 to 29, 2024.
Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Ms. Aciro ,stated that fishery resources and aquatic organisms continue to be a major economic and food source for many people in the East African region, therefore significant efforts are needed to ensure the sector continues to thrive.
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She added that the Council through the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organization (LVFO) continues to develop robust strategies to address challenges facing the sector including implementing sustainable fish and aquatic resource management systems, conservation and monitoring systems to enhance productivity.
Ms. Aciro also urged LVFO to continue leveraging opportunities and its position to seek financial resources from various stakeholders to implement new projects for the benefit of the Community.
On his part, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Prof. Riziki Shemdoe, who also led the Tanzanian delegation at the meeting, emphasized the importance of the Community and stakeholders continuing to collaborate in developing fishery resources and aquatic organisms due to their significant contribution to the Community’s economy.
In the meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation was represented by the Acting Director of the Department of Economic Infrastructure and Social Services, Engineer Abdillah Mataka.
In another development, Uganda handed over the Chairmanship of the Council to the Republic of Burundi, which will hold the position for a one-year term.
